Porch #174 🏡 Springtime nesting at home

a few moments with my husband & sister + 4 questions to steer you toward feathering your own unique nest + a peek into our porch life

PORCH. It’s our weekend gathering place. Think open house + small group + your BFF + book club + a listening ear + TGIF all coming together to cultivate a Christ-centered, cozy, welcoming community.

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‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’
- Ecclesiastes 3:1

Hi, it’s me.

Yesterday afternoon, I hauled the chippy white flea market coffee table from the living room out onto the porch. Which I did after I moved the ancient night table from the guest bedroom onto the porch to use as a little coffee bar. And dragged one of the white wicker end tables from the porch into the bedroom to take its place.

This morning, my husband said, ‘So, you want the brown trunk from up in the nest brought upstairs into the loft.’

(the nest is the room above the garage that used to be my counseling office)

‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘and the table in the loft brought down to the living room, right in front of the sofa.’

He takes care of business quickly and settles into his chair, Sudoku and pen in hand. Five minutes later, my sister waltzes through the door and enthusiastically eyes the newly moved table. ‘Oh, hi Tim, that’s new. Has this table been here before? I like it, it’s higher than the other one.’

‘I have no idea,’ he mumbles, just slightly irritated as he’s already deep into his puzzle.

I read her the first few lines of what I’ve written already. ‘I didn’t waltz,’ she points out, a bit miffed that she might be making an unannounced appearance on her sister’s blog. And without missing a beat, the two of us, as we often do, break into a rousing rendition of Waltzing Matilda, annoying my husband yet once again.

He quietly grabs his sweatshirt and heads out to re-organize the already organized garage. And soon after, my sister makes her departure and I closet myself up in the bedroom to continue writing this piece on springtime nesting.

I’m a homebody through and through. I don’t know about you, but I love caring for my home. Notice I didn’t say I love cleaning my house, but rather I enjoy the process of re-imagining and sprucing up our living spaces. It’s fun looking at the tried and true with fresh eyes, wondering if what’s served us well could be taken up a notch or two … or perhaps switched around or reconfigured, making a room come to life in ways that end up surprising even us.

4 questions:

• When I look around a room does it make me smile, bring a sigh of relief, or as Marie Kondo would say, spark joy?

• Is there something I can do to make this space work better for this season of our lives … or for this year?

• Is there stuff here that’s serving no purpose or has long outworn its welcome?

• Can I shuffle some small pieces of furniture around or unearth something from the basement to breathe new life into this space?

I’m big on re-imagining spaces that have slowly but surely gone astray. Re-arranging treasured accumulations helps me see those possessions in a new light and I end up gaining a fresh appreciation for their useful or lovely presence.

And that is what these early spring days are all about. And for me, the kickoff is readying the porch for the next three seasons.

From mid-March ‘til fall’s chilliest days, the big ol’ table Tim crafted from Canadian barn wood will be my go-to spot for early morning writing, savoring mugs of tea, dabbling with watercolors, bird watching, and sunset suppers. You may find me on the sofa napping, studying, texting, planning, reading, or praying. There’s plenty of room for family and friends and little twinkle lights that drape around the ceiling’s edges give it a magical sparkle at the end of the day.

Once this room morphs from its role as a catch-all for wintertime boots and stuff, I know without a doubt that spring has arrived in all her glory, even though we still expect a month or two of gray, wet weather with occasional glimpses of glorious blue skies. On the sunny days, the room quickly warms up, and the windows are screened if it gets too hot. If the temps dip below 32 degrees or (gasp) an odd snow storm decides to sweep in off the ocean? No problem. I plug in the heater and go about my day.

Because once springtime makes her appearance, there’s no looking back. Summer beckons from way far down the road. And I’ll still be hanging out in this room ‘til fall gasps her last breath. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, what’s nesting look like for you right about now? Any brainstorms or projects up your sleeve? I’d love to hear all about your hopes and plans for your springtime home.
Linda

HERE’S MORE -

Porch #169 🏡 Let's reimagine our homes!

🏡 What's Saving My Homekeeping Life

Porch #133 🧺 The Joy of Owning Less Stuff

🔗 Paula . Joanne . Andrew . Joanne

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